


Toxic Hearts

by BlackxFirexTazz



Category: One Piece
Genre: AU, Angst, F/M, In this AU a virus exists that makes people kill others, Rape/Non-con Elements, Rape/non-con stuff happens later in the story, Smut, This will not be a very happy fic, don't know what else to tag
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-07
Updated: 2017-08-12
Packaged: 2018-12-12 06:17:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11731209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackxFirexTazz/pseuds/BlackxFirexTazz
Summary: An outbreak of a virus occurs in Grand Line City. The virus has been labeled Incendium Occisor Virus, meaning 'burning killer' due to the intense burning sensation from the virus spreading through the body, and manipulates a person's brain to make them into a killing machine. The virus is transferred through infected saliva or blood entering the bloodstream of a normal person and can take anywhere from 10-30 minutes to spread through the body depending on the person's heart rate. Can Monkey D. Tazz and Co. make it through and find a cure?





	1. Before the Storm

**Author's Note:**

> Post-Timeskip and Modern!AU and for the sake of the story, logia ability-holders can be injured much like paramecia and zoan.

Knocking on the front door snapped a black-haired woman from her reading and she looked over the back of the couch at the door before closing her book and setting it aside. She stood and stretched her arms over her head as she walked to the door before smoothing out her black tank-top and orange pajama pants. She opened the door with a polite smile and blinked when she saw several of her friends.

She tilted her head and stepped aside to let them in, "What're you guys doing here?" Sanji smiled and gave her a small bouquet of lilies, "Luffy invited us over to watch scary movies. Sorry if we disturbed you, Tazz-chan." She took the flowers with a smile and shook her head, "Don't worry about it. I was just reading."

Once the last person entered, she shut the door and went off to find a vase for the lilies. After putting them in a vase of water, she put them on a small table in the hallway before going to Luffy's room. She peered inside and saw her brother passed out halfway on his bed with his phone in his hand and a snot bubble.

She sighed and entered before walking over to his bed. She lightly tapped his face with her palm a few times and grumbled when he didn't wake up. In the living room, a loud boom was heard and they glanced into the hall that led to the bedrooms to see Luffy upside down on the wall across from his room as he finally woke up.

He slid down the wall and landed on his head, his legs flopping forward until his knees where by his head, "Ow! Why'd you go and do that, big sis?" She stood in his doorway with her arms crossed and nodded her head to the living room, "The gang is here and you weren't waking up." He blinked and forgot about his pain as he jumped up to his feet and ran down the hall to his friends, "Hey, guys!"

Tazz gave an exasperated sigh before turning and going a door down to her room. She went inside and closed the door behind her before she began taking her pajamas off. She put on her usual camouflage cargo pants and tucked them into her black combat boots.

She was about to pull her tight, black sleeveless top over her head when she got lost in her thoughts that revolved around a certain blond chef that was currently in the living room. She didn't know how long she was zoned out when fingertips lightly brushing against the large, x-shaped scar on her upper back made her almost jump out of her skin and whip her head around to look over her left shoulder as she held her shirt to her chest. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw that it was the subject of her previous thoughts standing right behind her, lightly tracing over the biggest scar on her back with a thoughtful look on his face.

She swallowed nervously and hoped that she wasn't blushing, "S-Sanji?" He seemed to snap out of his daze and blushed lightly as he met her eye with a sheepish smile, "S-Sorry, Tazz-chan. You were away for a while and I got kinda worried so I decided to check on you. Your door was cracked open a bit and I guess my body moved on its own..." She turned her head back to the front as she felt the tips of her ears burn, "It's fine..."

Sanji shifted his gaze back to her scar and continued to lightly trail over her it. He took a deep breath to try to steady his pounding heart before he leaned down and moved her messy hair from the nape of her neck and pressed his lips to the crowned D tattoo as well as her shoulder where her metal arm met flesh. She tensed and her breath hitched as her cheeks grew red.

After a moment, he pulled away and dropped his hand from her back. She finished putting her shirt on and tried to calm her blush before turning her head to look at him with a sheepish expression. He had his own blush and smiled softly at her before gently turning her to face him pulling her into a hug.

Her eye widened before slipping shut as she returned the hug. He sighed softly and buried his face in her hair, "Oh, Tazz-chan... It makes my heart ache to think that you were in so much pain..." She lightly grasped his blue button-up, "It was worth it."

He smiled softly and tightened his hug before releasing her, "I know. Come on. Luffy's demanding snacks to eat during the movies." She smiled back and nodded before quickly leaning up and kissing his cheek. He stood stunned as he watched her leave the room before shaking his head and following after her with a happy grin.

They passed through the living room before heading to the kitchen to start getting snacks for the group. A deep voice called from the living room, "Hey, Tazz? Can you get some booze, too?" She chuckled and went to the fridge to get a case of beer, "You got it, Zoro."

Sanji pouted a bit and put all the snacks on a couple of trays, "You don't have to cater to him, Tazz-chan..." She smiled and patted his cheek, "It's fine. It's not like I'm going out of my way to do it." He watched her for a moment before glancing away, "Would you go out of your way for me?"

She nodded and lightly rubbed his cheek with her thumb, "Of course." He blushed lightly and looked back at her before taking a breath, "Tazz-chan? I... I have something to tell you..." She blinked and tilted her head with a soft smile, "Go ahead."

He gently took her hands in his with a serious look on his face, "I... I love you. Will you be my girlfriend?" She blinked dumbly for a moment before laughing softly, "Don't be silly, Sanji." His face fell and his chest tightened painfully before she continued, "I think you'd be a lot happier with Nami or Robin. I don't really understand why you'd choose me of all people."

He frowned and pulled her into a hug, "Don't be so hard on yourself, Tazz-chan. I love you for you." She hesitated for a moment before returning the hug, "Do you really mean that?" He sighed softly but remained firm, "Of course I do."

She blushed lightly and reached up to scratch her cheek with a finger, "Then I guess... I'll be your girlfriend..." He grinned and hugged her tighter before releasing her and taking the trays of snacks, "I won't let you down, Tazz-chan." She smiled back and took the beer before they went to the living room.

They set the trays and beer on the coffee table in front of the large couch before sitting in an empty space. Tazz sat to Sanji's right and he took her hand in his before resting them on his lap as Robin flipped through the movie channels until she stopped on a paranormal one. Usopp hid behind Zoro on the floor and Nami blanched, inching a bit closer to their morbid friend.

Chopper jumped into Tazz's lap and pulled her arm around him like a security blanket and Sanji lightly glared down at the small reindeer. The snacks quickly disappeared as the movie went on until it got near the middle. Tension was high in some of the more easily frightened ones as a scene built suspense.

Just as something was about to happen, a news broadcast interrupted, making the whole room groan in disappointment. The news anchor shuffled his papers and looked at the camera with a grim expression, "Breaking News! There has been an outbreak of a virus, called Incendium Occisor Virus, and it is rapidly spreading across Grand Line City. Those infected with it seem to lose their sanity and go on a murderous rampage, killing anyone they meet or infecting others. This virus is spread through blood or saliva containing the virus entering the bloodstream of another person."

The disappointment that was in the room quickly changed to worry and Robin tucked her chin in a fist, "'Incendium occisor'.... That means 'burning killer' in Latin. I assume the latter part comes from how it makes people go on killing sprees." Usopp turned as white as a sheet and his teeth began to chatter from fear, "Is it the apocalypse?!" Chopper let out a scream and put his hooves to his face, "THE APOCALYPSE?!"

Tazz frowned and squeezed Sanji's hand, "Since it's just breaking out, that means there isn't a cure for it yet..." Luffy put his fist in his hand as if he understood, "So it's a Mystery Virus, right?" Nami and Usopp slapped him upside the head, "THAT'S PUTTING IT TOO LIGHTLY!"

Brook shivered and brought his knees to his chest, "Just the thought of it makes my skin crawl. Ah! But I don't have skin! Yohohohoho~!" Tazz frowned and ran a hand through her hair, "This isn't really the time to be joking around. We don't know what this virus is fully capable of." Sanji nodded in agreement, "Tazz-chan is right. We should start preparing for the worst."

Zoro just leaned back against the couch with his hands behind his head, "If anyone tries to kill us, I'll cut them down." Tazz looked at him with a serious expression, "And if it's one of us? What then?" He frowned and stared at the ground while Robin tapped her chin, "I believe it would be a good idea that if any of us get infected, to keep them restrained until a cure is found."

Something donned on Tazz and she quickly got out her phone before dialing a number. Sanji blinked and watched her, "Who're you calling?" She frowned and nervously bounced her leg, "Ace. Both he and Sabo went out with their friends."

Ace finally picked up and he sounded confused, "Tazz? What's up?" She let out a shaky breath, "Ace, you need to get home immediately and bring your friends if you have to. If anyone is acting weird, avoid them at all costs. Don't let anyone bite you and don't touch anyone's blood. I'll explain when you get home." She hung up and started dialing Sabo's number before putting the phone to her ear, "Come on, Sabo..."

When the blond answered, he sounded like he was running, "Tazz, I just heard the news about the virus. I'm running home right now. Where's Ace?" She sighed and ran a hand through her hair as the others in the living room watched her, "I don't know, but I just called him to get him to come home. Please hurry and avoid anyone on the street." Sabo gave an affirmative before hanging up.

Chopper sniffled and looked up at her with teary eyes, still seated on her lap, "Tazz... I'm scared..." She pulled the little reindeer into a hug and rubbed his back with her free hand, "Me too, Chopper. Me too..." The front door slammed open, making them all jump up to their feet and look to the door to see a panting Sabo with Ace, Marco, and Thatch right behind.

They entered the home and Sabo shut the door behind them before locking it. They walked into the living room and Tazz tapped her fingers against her leg, "Does anyone know what the best course of action is now?" Sabo frowned and leaned against the wall, "I think it'd be best to stay indoors at all times unless absolutely necessary."

Everyone in the room agreed and a tense silence fell over them. Tazz flopped back on the couch and put a hand over her eyes, "This is like a fucking nightmare..." Sanji sat next to her and put a hand on her leg, "Perhaps they're already looking for a cure?"

She sighed softly and slid her hand to her hair, "Maybe... Who knows how many people are already infected. The broadcast didn't say." Sabo peeked out through the blinds of the window facing the front yard and gasped, "Crap! I think it's already spread to this area of the city. The neighbor across from us is walking up and down the street covered in blood with a baseball bat..."

Some of the group went over to the window to see for themselves as Tazz stood and started pacing, "Shit... We're most likely going to need weapons if we have to go somewhere or if anyone tries to break in." She walked over to a barely noticeable closet off to the side of the living room and opened it, revealing that it was packed with weapons ranging from gun, to swords, bo-staffs, and various other things.

Ace and Sabo gaped at the closet while Luffy marveled, "How long has that closet been full of weapons?!" She took out a gun and examined it before putting it back and getting a halberd, "Since we moved in. Thanks to Shanks so generously giving us large allowances, I've taken it upon myself to gather weapons in case of an emergency."

Nami had to grab the back of Luffy's shirt to prevent him from diving into the closet, "Well, at least we have plenty." Tazz nodded and wiped a layer of dust from the halberd's blade, "Yeah. The only issue we'd really have is keeping a constant supply of food. With all the danger around, I'd imagine that other people are doing the same as us and a competition for food and supplies would begin." Sabo rubbed his chin as he folded his other arm over his chest, "That's true. With how much we all eat, we'd pretty much need a whole small store to keep us fed for a month or so."

Tazz spun the halberd in her hands before holding it firmly in both hands and pointing it in front of her, "Some of us should go for a supply run. I think we don't have many medical supplies and we haven't restocked our food in a few weeks." The rest murmured or nodded in agreement before she continued, "Let's draw straws to decide who goes and who stays. While we do need to stick together as much as possible since being alone is dangerous, this is an instance in which it'd be preferred to split into two groups so one can keep an eye on the house and news." After getting scraps of paper, half of them having red ends, she held them in her hand so that the ends were covered before holding her hand out.

After everyone drew, the ones that had the red papers were Ace, Tazz, Usopp, Zoro, Sanji, Robin, and Marco. She grabbed her halberd and pointed at the closet, "Alright. Everyone that's going grab a weapon in case you can't rely on your own power alone." Ace, Usopp, Robin, and Sanji had gotten guns while Marco got a nail-ridden bat and Zoro had his three swords.

They solemnly walked to the front door and Tazz unlocked it before looking back at the group that was staying while grabbing her black cowboy-style hat from the hat rack by the door, "Lock the door once we leave and don't open it for anyone that you don't know or that's acting suspicious." After that, she opened the door and walked out with her group following behind as she put her hat on her head, "Three of you can fit in Ace's truck while the other three can sit in the back. I'm going to take my motorcycle." With that, everyone but Tazz piled in the orange pickup while Tazz strapped her halberd to her back and slipped onto her bike before starting it and driving in the direction of the closest grocery store.


	2. Hell Breaks Loose

The others followed behind Tazz in Ace's pickup as they went to the grocery store. There was surprisingly sparse traffic on the route and they slowed to a halt in the parking lot of the store, seeing only a few vehicles already there. They parked and Tazz got off her bike as the others filed out of the truck before brandishing their weapons.

She pulled her halberd from its strap across her back and held it at her side with the blade pointing down as she walked forward as the others followed after in a v formation, three on each side. She entered the store and saw a few people rushing around, trying to gather as many supplies as fast as they could. The people that were there steered clear of her and her group since they had weapons.

She pointed her halberd off to the side, "Everyone grab a cart and fill it as much as you can." She put her weapon on her back once more and grabbed a cart before pushing it forward with the others doing the same. She glanced back at them over her left shoulder, "And don't be picky. Grab however much of whatever you can."

They broke up and went to different parts of the store, shoving armfuls of whatever they can into their carts. After filling the carts with food as well as all the available medical supplies, they rolled them out to Ace's truck and dumped everything into the back. They were about to load up to head back home when a little girl carrying a bloody teddy bear waddled up to the truck while sobbing loudly.

Ace frowned and looked around to see if he could find her parents. Upon finding the lot deserted apart from them, he trotted over to the girl and squatted in front of her with a soft smile, "Hello there. Do you know where your parents went?" The girl just continued sobbing and he reached out to put a hand on her shoulder while Tazz was watching with a narrowed eye.

When Tazz saw the crazed grin that spread over the little girl's face, her eye widened and she grabbed her halberd before running over, "Ace! Get away from her!" He looked up at her with a confused expression, arm still outstretched to the girl, "Huh?" Everyone gasped as the girl dropped her bear and lunged at the freckled man, pushing him to the ground as she bit down on his shoulder.

He let out a scream of pain and Tazz swung her halberd upwards, effectively severing the girl's head from her body before kicking it away and kneeling down next to Ace, "Shit!" She put her weapon down and dug through her pockets before pulling out her orange bandanna and pressing it to the bleeding bite while he groaned. She quickly picked him up and put him in the free space of the back of his truck before grabbing her halberd and jumping on after, "Marco! Take my bike to the house and tell Sabo to prepare a room! Sanji! You drive the truck!"

Sanji hopped into the driver's seat as Robin and Usopp got in after. Marco got on her motorcycle and Zoro climbed into the bed of the truck next to her and looked at her, "What should I do?" Ace began trying to reach up to claw at the bite and she pinned his arm with her knee, "Restrain his arm."

They began heading back to the house and she leaned over Ace with a soft smile, using one hand to brush his hair out of his sweaty face while maintaining pressure on his wound with the other, "Hey there, bub. Focus on my voice and keep calm. We'll get through this just fine, you hear?" He stared up at her with a dazed look but nodded his head a bit, signaling that he at least understood what she was saying. She smiled again and leaned down to kiss his forehead, "Good. Breath in and out real deep, okay? Try to keep your heart rate steady."

She breathed in and out to help him pace his own breathing. They pulled into the driveway and she looked at Zoro, "Take him inside and keep pressure on the wound." The swordsman nodded and picked him up before running inside after Sabo opened the door with a worried expression.

She grabbed the medical supplies before rushing in after with Sabo next to her, "What happened?" She scowled and went into the room that Ace was taken to, "An infected little girl bit him before we could take her out." The ones that hadn't gone on the supply run swarmed around the doorway and Tazz snapped her attention to them, "Keep Luffy out of here!" 

Just as she said that, Luffy bust into the room and a look of panic came over his face, "Ace!" Zoro grabbed the boy and pulled him from the room before the door was shut and locked, leaving Tazz, Sabo, Sanji. Robin, and Chopper inside. Chopper jumped onto the bed to kneel next to Ace's head and Tazz handed him the medical supplies.

The reindeer got to work as Tazz took Ace's hand, "How long has it been since he was bitten?" She frowned and gently brushed her fingers over his freckled cheeks, "About fifteen minutes..." Sabo frowned and began rubbing his scar, "When you all left, another broadcast came on. It said that the virus can spread and take over anywhere between ten and thirty minutes and that the city has been quarantined..."

It was deathly silent in the room apart from Ace's labored breathing and Tazz's gently words for about twenty-five more minutes and just as Chopper finished tending to the wound, Tazz pulled her hand away with a hiss of pain, "Shit! He's burning up! I think his body may be trying to burn away the virus as a last resort." Chopper patted away some sweat from Ace's forehead with a cotton ball, "Five more minutes until the maximum time before the virus takes over. We'll just have to wait and see if he'll overcome the virus..." She frowned and lightly squeezed Ace's hand.

A minute later, his breathing steadied and his eyes closed, appearing to be sleeping. The tension left the room and Tazz smiled before leaning over his head. Suddenly, his eyes popped open with a crazed glint and a wicked grin grew on his face before he lunged at her, wrapping his hands around her throat.

Tears sprung to her eye as he pushed her to her back on the bed, tightening his grip on her neck as she futilely grabbed at his hands. The others were frozen in horror before Tazz looked over at Robin, "Robin! Restrain him! Sabo! Go get the sea-stone chains!" They snapped out of it and Sabo quickly exited the room as Robin crossed her arms in front of her and several arms sprouted from Ace's back before wrapping around him and basically acted as a straight-jacket to keep his arms pressed to his sides.

He squirmed against the arms with the grin still on his face as Tazz jumped off the bed and stared at him, lightly touching the dark bruises that were already forming on her neck, "Ace..." Sabo soon returned and wrapped the chains around Ace right before Robin released her powers.

Sabo locked the chain around Ace and he struggled briefly before falling back against the mattress as the sea-stone drained his energy, wide grin still present. Tazz covered her mouth with a hand as Chopper clung to his leg, tears rolling down both of their faces. Sabo turned his head away as tears filled his own eyes, biting down on his lower lip to keep it from wobbling.

After taking a deep breath, Tazz wiped her eye, "We'll keep him in here for now and take shifts on watching him until a cure is found." Chopper sniffled and looked up at her, "But what if it takes years?" She frowned and clenched her fists, "Then so be it."

Ace let out a maniacal laugh that chilled them to the core and Chopper gripped her leg tighter. Tazz sighed softly and looked at Robin with a tired eye, "Would you mind taking first watch? We'll leave the door open just in case." The older woman shook her head with a small smile, "I don't mind. I'll let you know if I need anything."

Tazz picked Chopper up and held him to her chest as she led Sabo and Sanji from the room. They walked into the living room and saw the worried looks from the other. Franky lifted his sunglasses, "What the hell was that SUPER creepy laugh?"

Tazz bit her lip before glaring at the floor, "Ace... He couldn't fight the virus..." The room went quiet before Luffy jumped up with clenched fists as Tazz set Chopper on the couch, "Let me see him! You have to be lying! There's no way Ace would lose to a stupid virus!" Zoro and Usopp tried to keep him back as he fought against them, "Let me go! I gotta see Ace!"

Tazz whirled around to face him with a furious expression as tears brimmed her eye once more, "LUFFY! THAT'S ENOUGH! WHAT WOULD WE DO IF YOU GET BITTEN AND INFECTED TOO?!" Her brows knitted as she barely kept from breaking down as she spoke in a much softer voice, "Do you really think Ace would want you putting yourself in danger because you have to see something to believe it.." Luffy went still and stared at her as some of the others, mainly Franky, Brook, Chopper, and Usopp, began to sob softly.

Luffy's bottom lip wobbled as tears filled his eyes before he shook Usopp and Zoro off and almost tackled Tazz in a hug, "Big sis! We gotta help Ace!" She fought back her own tears and rubbed his back, "I know, Lu. That's why I intend on going to the north part of the city to find Vegapunk and Trafalgar Law."

They all looked at her and Marco furrowed his brows, "Why are you wanting to go find them?" She looked over at him and continued to hug Luffy, "They're the best scientist and doctor in the city. They're gonna find a cure for this madness even if I have to force them." Luffy looked up at her, "I'm going with you!"

She frowned and shook her head, "No, Luffy. I don't want you at risk. I'll go alone." Sabo rubbed at his scar and gave her a frown, "It isn't a good idea to be alone during this time. You said so yourself." She sighed and put her cheek on Luffy's head, "I know, but I don't want anyone else to be in danger of getting infected..."

Nami folded her arms under her chest, "Then how about we split into two groups again?" Tazz thought for a moment before sighing, "Fine, but only the strongest can go." She looked around at everyone in the room before deciding on who would go, "Zoro, Marco, Sanji, Sabo, and Thatch. You guys are capable of staying focused and keeping yourselves out of harm's way."

Luffy frowned and pulled away from his sister, "What about me?!" She frowned back and put her hands on his shoulders, "Luffy, please don't fight me on this. I want you to stay safe." He slapped her hands off of him and glared angrily, "But I'm strong enough!" She clenched her fists and returned his glare, "You're also ridiculously reckless and easy to provoke! That's exactly why I don't want you going!"

She closed her eye and took a deep breath to try to reign in her temper before she started heading to the door with the ones she chose following behind, all but Sabo grabbing their weapons as they went. When they exited the house, Sabo stopped right outside the door and gently grabbed Tazz's arm to stop her. She looked back at him with a questioning gaze and he sighed before letting go, "I... I want to stay here. With Ace."

She watched him for a moment before nodding, "Alright. Keep Luffy from following us. Let me know if any more info about the virus comes up." He nodded and pulled her into a tight hug before releasing her and heading back inside. She walked over to her bike and slipped on, "Marco, you drive and follow after me. Sanji, you ride with me."

Marco and the other two got in the truck while Sanji hopped on her motorcycle behind her as she pushed her hat back to hang from her neck. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her a bit, "How long will it be until we get to the northern area?" She sighed and started the engine, "Grand Line City is huge and we're in the southern quadrant. It should take three or four hours if things go smoothly, but there's no telling how long it will take to find Vegapunk."

She pulled out of the driveway and drove down to the highway with Marco following behind. Sanji tightened his arms around her as they rode on northward. Half an hour in, they had to stop at a gas station to fuel up since they had left the house with near-empty tanks.

She cut the engine and paid for the gas at the pump before removing the gas-cap and putting the nozzle in the tank. Sanji slid off from behind her and jerked a thumb at the convenience store, "Do you need anything, Tazz-chan?" She sat straight and rolled her shoulders to get the tension out of them, "Some smokes would be nice. Also some jerky, please."

He nodded and adjusted his pistol tucked in the back of the waistband of his pants, making sure the folds of his button-up hid it, before walking over and entering the building. Marco began filling up the truck's tank on the pump behind Tazz and he leaned against the pickup with a hand in his pocket.

He looked over to her with a raised brow, "How you holding up?" She sighed and crossed her forearms over the center of the handlebars before leaning against it with her head down, "Not the best, but I'm managing..." He watched her for a moment before looking away, "We'll get through this and cure Ace."

She nodded a bit before removing the nozzle and putting it up. She closed the tank and ran a hand through her hair as Sanji returned with a pack of cigarettes and a few bags of beef jerky. She took the smokes with a nod of thanks before nodding her head to the packs on the bike, "Put the jerky in there for later."

He opened one of the packs before slipping the bags of jerky in and closing it, securing the buckle before getting back on the bike as the truck finished filling up. Marco put the nozzle up and put the gas-cap back on before shutting the compartment and hopping in the vehicle. Tazz opened her cigarettes and lightly shook it to get one out before closing the pack and putting it in one of the many pockets of her pants.

She pulled away from the pumps ahead of Marco and paused right before the street, turning her head towards Sanji, "Got a light?" He nodded and dug through a pocket before pulling out his intricate gold lighter and jerking his wrist to open it. He flicked it until it ignited and he held it to the end of her cigarette, waiting for it to catch before he flicked his wrist to close the lighter and put it back in his pocket.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and they drove onto the street, resuming their journey to the north part of the city.


	3. Separated

About thirty more minutes on the road, Tazz felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she held a hand up to signal to Marco to pull over. She slowed down and pulled to the shoulder of the road with Marco right behind before getting her phone out and seeing that Sabo was calling. She killed the engine of her bike and answered the call, putting her phone to her ear, "Yeah?"

She could almost hear Sabo pacing around on the other end, "Another broadcast came on with more information regarding the virus. It was said that it was supposed to be used as a sort of biological warfare that would turn enemy troops against each other, but it somehow made its way back here and spread through the common population." She sighed and sat up, getting her cigarettes and getting one, turning her head so Sanji could light it as Marco, Zoro, and Thatch got out of the truck and gathered around. She put her phone on speaker and held it up, "So the military dabbled in the taboo and now it came back to bite the asses of those that had nothing to do with it?"

Sabo let out a sigh on the other end, "Pretty much. So far, North Blue City and West Blue City are also quarantined. There haven't been any reports of the virus spreading to the other two Blues or Red Line City yet." Marco put his hands on his hips with a frown, "Has the military or government decided what to do aside from quarantining the infected cities, yoi?" Tazz frowned and ran her free hand through her hair before resting it at the back of her neck as she looked up at the sky, blowing out a long sigh of smoke while Sabo continued, "Not that we know of. We haven't even been told if they've even started trying to find a cure yet."

Tazz reached up and took her cigarette from her mouth, flicking the ash as she looked at her phone, "Anything else? Any updates on Ace?" Sabo let out yet another heavy sigh, "He isn't trying to escape the chain, but he will let out a really creepy laugh every now and then and try to bite anyone that gets close enough." She exhaled some smoke and put the heel of her free hand to her forehead as she felt a headache starting, "Alright. The highway is pretty much deserted so we'll try to hurry. Keep me posted if something happens."

Sabo gave an affirmative and she was about to hang up when he spoke, "Tazz?" She moved her finger from hovering over the 'end call' button, "Yeah?" She could nearly feel the worry from the other end, "Please be careful." The corner of her lips quirked upward and she held her cigarette to her lips, "Of course."

After hanging up the call, they quickly got back on the road, driving a fair bit faster than the speed limit. Sanji practically clung to her and buried his face in her shoulder to hide it from the force of the wind. Tazz took a final drag of her cigarette before taking the butt and flicking it off to the side while exhaling the smoke through her nose.

Another hour in and they entered the middle of the city, also known as the Calm Belt due to how sparsely populated it is compared to the four quadrants. Tazz slowed down a bit to a little above a crawling pace and looked around with her eye narrowed. Marco slowed down as well and pulled up to her in the second lane as they stopped, putting his arm on the door and looking at her, "What's up, yoi?"

She scanned the area and felt her skin prickle at the eerie silence, "It's too quiet. I know that any sane person is holed up in their residence, but I'd expect there to at least be possibly a few stragglers or infected running around..." Marco glanced around before nodding in agreement, "You're right. Not to mention that the road has been clear for miles, yoi." Tazz frowned and put her hat on to shield her eye from the sun as she looked farther down the road to see the area void of visible life, "I don't like this... Well, let's keep going."

She put her feet back on the pegs and resumed driving down the road, keeping her eye out for any movement. After a few minutes, they slowed down once more and kept rolling as several bodies came in to view. Tazz grimaced and glanced around to see more bodies and bullet casings littering the sidewalks as well as blood splattered in many places, "Shit... Look's like a massacre took place..."

Sanji subconsciously tightened his arms around her waist, "This is horrible..." Marco spotted something and frowned as he watched someone hobble out from an alley, blood dripping from their hands and staining their clothes, "Head's up. We've got company, yoi." Tazz looked over at the person before more movement caught her eye and she looked around, seeing more people come out from the shadows with crazed grins, "Damn. I think they're all infected."

Thatch rolled his window back up and sat stock still, "Then let's get out of here." As if his words triggered something, the infect began sprinting towards them, wielding various makeshift weapons. Tazz cursed and sat forward a bit, "Hold on tight, Sanji!"

He did as told and she peeled out as he pressed tightly against her to keep on the motorcycle. Marco pressed down on the gas and followed after her, glancing in the rear-view mirror to see the horde still following after them, "Tenacious bastards, yoi."

Tazz looked back over her and Sanji's left shoulders and scowled before turning her attention back to the front, "Sanji. When I get closer to the truck, I want you to jump over to the bed." He leaned back a bit to give her a bewildered look, "What the hell are you talking about?!" She glanced at him with a smile, "Trust me. I've got a plan."

He frowned before sighing and nodding reluctantly, "Fine." She lagged back a bit to get right next to the back of the truck as Sanji steadily crouched on the seat of her bike, all while Marco occasionally watched through the side mirror, "What the hell are you doing, yoi?!" She met his gaze through the mirror with a firm look as Sanji jumped over and landed in the bed of the truck, "I'm going to distract them. There's about two more hours until you reach the northern quadrant. I'll text you Law's address and meet you there."

Before the others could object, she braked and her bike slid forward until stopping as she turned it, putting one foot down to the ground. She closed her eye for a moment and got her halberd as she took a deep breath. She opened her eye with a determined glare at the advancing mob before she put her foot back on the peg and drove towards them, spinning her halberd in one hand before holding the blade out to the side.

She leaned forward and drove straight into the horde, sending several of them flying while cutting down others. When she got through the crowd, she slid to a stop like earlier and held her weapon as well as her middle fingers up when they all turned to her, "I'M OVER HERE! IF YOU WANT ME, COME GET ME, FUCKERS!" They started after her, some letting out chilling laughs, and she turned her bike before driving away from them.

She would sometimes slow down to keep them enticed to follow after her before she would speed up again when they got too close. Satisfied with how they all had their attention away from the truck that was getting farther and farther away, she quickly pulled off into a side-street to try to lose them. She continued driving down random streets for fifteen more minutes before coming to a stop behind a building and cutting the engine to stay quiet as she dug her phone out of her pocket.

She pulled up her and Marco's texts and quickly typed out Law's address before sending it to him and locking her phone. She put it in her pocket and straddled her bike as she tightened her grip on her halberd, the tense silence making her somewhat anxious. After a few minutes, she let out a soft sigh as she relaxed, figuring that the horde stopped following her and she was about to put her weapon in its spot strapped to her back when she was tackled off of her motorcycle.

She grunted and quickly brought her halberd up to use the pole to block the knife that was swung down towards her head. She looked up to see a man that had the tell-tale grin on his face that was splattered with blood. She growled deeply and brought a leg up between them, kicking him off before she jumped up and flipped him to his stomach.

She pinned his arm that had the knife with her boot against his wrist as she sat on his lower back while putting her right arm around his neck. She secured it by grabbing the bicep of her left arm and squeezed his neck while pulling him up. He let out a strangled laugh and grabbed at her arm with his free hand and she shut her eye tightly as she squeezed harder until a snap sounded and he went limp.

After making sure he wasn't moving, she released him from her arms and stood before wiping the sweat from her chin with her wrist as she glared at the body while muttering to herself, "Fuck. It makes my skin crawl to have to kill people, but I can't risk anything. Finding a cure for Ace is my top priority." Luckily, the scuffle was rather quiet so it didn't attract any attention. She stooped down to grab her halberd and put it on her back before getting her bike upright and walking it to the corner of the building.

She peeked around and saw a few infected stumbling around. She mounted her bike and took a breath before starting the engine and shooting off back towards the highway. The infected attempted to follow, but they weren't as persistent as the horde from earlier and stopped once she was too far away for them to keep up.

She sighed and continued driving for thirty minutes until her bike began to sputter. Her eye widened and she slowed to a stop right before the engine died, "No no no no! Fuck!" She looked everything over and couldn't see any visible problems and she growled before punching a nearby building, making the wall crack.

She sighed heavily and ran her hands back through her hair before putting her hat back on top of her head and fishing her smokes from her pocket. She shook the pack until the butt of one cigarette stuck out from the others and she put it between her lips before putting the pack away. She frowned when she remembered that she didn't have a lighter with her and she sighed before holding a gloved finger to the end of her cigarette.

Black flames covered the tip of her finger and lit the cigarette before the flames were extinguished and she took a drag, blowing the smoke from the side of her mouth as she squatted down by her bike while thinking of her next course of action. She ruffled her hair under her hat before she stood and grabbed the handles. She found an alley and walked her bike into it before exiting, leaving the bike behind, as she took her phone out to note down the location for later retrieval and inform Marco of her situation.

She stared at her wallpaper that was a picture of her, Luffy, Ace, and Sabo lying in a pile with happy grins on their faces. She locked her phone with a sigh and put it back in her pocket before taking her halberd off her back and walking down the highway, making sure to keep alert for any movement around her. She tipped her hat forward to shadow her eyes as she held her cigarette to her lips with her thumb and forefinger, "Since it would've been only two more hours by vehicle, it'll should take me three or four to get to Law's by foot unless I can hot-wire a car. And that's only if I keep out of the way of the infected..."

Her phone vibrating made her pull it out before unlocking it to see a text from Marco asking if she wanted him to turn around and get her. She rubbed the heel of the hand holding her cigarette against her temple as she typed her reply, 'Don't worry about me right now. First priority is getting Law and Vegapunk.' She sent the text and she got a reply mere seconds later, 'Fine, but be careful. If you get killed, I'll kill you, yoi.'

Her lips quirked as she found it humorous that Marco even used his verbal tic through text and she sent an affirmative before putting her phone away. She took another puff before letting her arm drop to her side with her cigarette still between her thumb and index finger as she glanced around, "No vehicles yet... Maybe anyone that has one skipped town before the city was quarantined?" She fiddled with her cigarette for a moment before flicking the ash from the end and putting it back between her lips, eye glued on the road ahead.

She passed by a small store that seemed to sell a wide range of things and she paused in her steps. She shrugged her shoulders and went inside the shop, immediately spotting a bunch of rucksacks hanging from part of a wall and walked over. She reached up and grabbed a khaki-colored one and went to the other side of the store where canned goods were, "No tellin' how long I might be out here. Best be prepared."

After shoving several cans into the bag, she went down an aisle that had various pharmaceutical things including bandages and suture kits. She grabbed many packs of rolled gauze and a first-aid kit and put them in her bag before closing it and slung it over her shoulder as she headed to the door. She quietly opened the door and poked her head out, glancing around to make sure the coast was clear before exiting the building and going to the road to resume walking north.

Her phone buzzed and she fished it out before checking to see that she got a text from Sanji, 'Are you okay, Tazz-chan? Marco said that your bike broke down. Are you sure you don't want us to come get you?' She smiled a bit, happy about his concern for her, before replying, 'Yeah. I'm fine. I want you guys to focus on our goal first. You could always come pick me up on the way back, anyway.' She didn't have to wait long for a reply from the blond chef, 'If you say so... Please stay safe. I love you.'

She blushed lightly and rubbed her neck with her free hand, "Jeez. I probably shouldn't take it too seriously since he tends to say it to almost every beautiful woman he meets..." She sighed softly and gripped the strap of her rucksack as she responded, 'I will. You guys be careful as well.' She got an affirmative in return before she once more put her phone back in her pocket as she let out a sigh of smoke through her nose, "Damn this city for being so big..."

She heard shuffling somewhere nearby to her right and she whipped around while getting in a fighting stance, holding her halberd defensively. A lithe, male figure stumbled out from the alley and she held her weapon up before recognizing the young man as Coby, a boy that was a training to be a police officer despite being the same age as Luffy. He looked at Tazz with a confused look before flinching and holding his hands up as she pointed her weapon at him, "E-Easy, Tazz-san! I'm not infected!"

She let out a sigh and relaxed, lowering her weapon before placing the blunt end against the ground to lean against like a long walking stick, "Good. I would've felt worse if I had to kill you." He gulped as a fearful shiver ran through him before he tensed when she leaned towards him to peer at his bloody top, "Whose blood?" He pressed the tips of his index fingers together in a nervous gesture as he averted his eyes, "N-Not mine... Someone attacked me with a knife and I defended myself..."

She let out a hum and took her cigarette between her thumb and index finger as she blew smoke out the side of her mouth, "So, why are you alone?" He frowned and rubbed the back of his head, slightly ruffling his bubblegum pink hair, "I got separated from Helmeppo and Garp-san... We were attacked by a small group of infected and had to split up." She hummed again and took a last puff before dropping the butt on the ground and stepping on it, "Which way did they go?"

He thought for a moment before pointing north, "North, I believe..." She nodded to herself and started walking, "That's the way I'm heading. Stick with me for now until we can get you to my grandpa." The young man nodded and jogged after her to catch up, slightly leaning forward to peer at her face, "Why are you alone, Tazz-san?" She glanced at him before nodding her chin to the north, "We're heading north to get Trafalgar Law and Vegapunk to start working on a cure. I split from the others to get a horde of infected away from them." He let out a small hum and turned his gaze back ahead as silence fell over them.


	4. Camped Out

Tazz and Coby continued walking in silence for about twenty minutes before Coby was unable to stand it any longer, "So... Who all is in your group?" She kept her gaze ahead and a slight tilt of her head was the only sign that she heard him. She let out a soft sigh and adjusted the strap of her rucksack over her shoulder, "Sanji, Marco, Zoro, and Thatch. The rest of our group is back at my house in the southern region..."

She trailed off as a frown came to her face, making Coby look at her with worry, "Tazz-san...?" She let out a heavy sigh and put a hand on her hat, "Ace was bitten... He's been infected for a few hours or so now... That's why we're heading north." The pink-haired boy frowned a bit and lightly brushed his hand against her forearm in a comforting gesture, "I'm sure it'll all work out. It's important to hold on to your hope, Tazz-san!"

She let her lips quirk in one corner as she looked over at him before ruffling his hair as they walked, "Thanks, Coby. You sure are a natural motivational speaker." He blushed lightly but let a small smile appear on his lips, glad that he cheered her up even if it was only a little. They turned their attention back to the front and paused when they saw a few infected wandering around a little over twenty meters ahead, their forms becoming somewhat hidden from the shadows of the buildings in the setting sun.

Tazz glared at them and prepared for a possible fight and slightly turned her head to him with a whisper, "You got a weapon?" He nodded and pulled out a pistol that he had tucked in the waistband of his pants as he whispered back, "Garp-san kind of forced it on me..." She let out a breath and glanced around before spotting an alley off to the left.

She nudged his arm and silently nodded her head towards the alley before turning to it and quietly walking forward with Coby following suit, both still keeping their weapons at the ready. They went into the alley and carefully traversed through the alleyways northward, both keeping their guards up. Something knocks over a can in a side alley and Coby jumped, pressing himself against Tazz's side as they both froze and looked over towards the source of the sound with their weapons aimed.

They both let out relieved sighs as they discovered that it was just a stray cat that had pushed over the can and they continued on. Tazz looked up to see the sky getting dark and she groaned before looking at Coby, "We'll have to camp out for the night. Let's get on a roof. I don't want to be down on the ground with the infected wondering around." Coby nodded and looked around, "That'd be a good idea, but I'm not seeing any ladders around..."

She smiled a bit and took her rucksack off and handed it to him as put the pole of her halberd in her mouth before turning towards a wall and pointing at her back. He blinked dumbly at her before blushing brightly, "E-Eh?! You want me to get on your back?!" She rolled her eye and nodded before changing her arms into their fighting form while kneeling down so he could climb on.

After a moment of hesitation, he put her rucksack on and got onto her back and wrapped his arms around her neck with his blush still present. He put his legs around her waists and blinked before looking down when he felt movement. His eyes widened when he saw what appeared to be a tail snake out from the waistband of her pants before wrapping around the two of them a few times to secure them together as she stood.

He wobbled a bit and automatically gripped a bit tighter while squeezing his eyes shut as she jumped up to cling to the wall before beginning to climb up. She kept her gaze up at the roof that was about fifteen meters ahead and she grunted softly as she climbed, only feeling the slightest strain from Coby's added weight. He watched with wide eyes and an awed expression, amazed at how easily she was able to carry another person.

When they reached the top, she pulled herself over the edge and knelt down while unwrapping her tail so he could get off of her as she reverted her arms back to normal and removed her halberd from her mouth. Once he slid off of her, she straightened and took her bag back when he handed it to her before she glanced around the flat roof as she sat down and leaned back against the ledge, "This should be a good spot. Are you hungry? I got some canned foods." He opened his mouth to politely decline when his stomach loudly disagreed, making her chuckle softly as she slid her rucksack to sit between her folded legs and opened it, digging around before pulling out a can on peaches as well as a spoon.

He blushed brightly and silently watched on as she changed her right arm into its fighting form before she began opening the can. She soon opened it and handed the can to him with the spoon before changing her arm back to normal and crossing her arms under her chest. Coby took the can with a nod of thanks and blinked at her, "Are you not going to eat?"

She smiled a bit and shook her head, "Nah. I'm honestly not all that hungry right now. I can always eat later." He let out a small hum and scooted over to sit at her right as he began eating, occasionally glancing at Tazz from the corner of his eyes. She let out a deep sigh and stared up at the night sky, quickly becoming lost in her thoughts of Ace and if finding a cure would even be possible.

When Coby finished eating, he looked over at her and blinked at the strangely pensive expression on her face and he leaned towards her a bit, "Tazz-san?" She blinked as she was snapped from her thoughts before turning her head to look at him, "Yeah?" He looked back ahead and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly with a light blush, "N-Nothing... You just seemed like you were thinking about something... not good."

She smiled and reached over his shoulders and covered his eyes with her hand as she pulled him to lean against her with his head on his shoulders. She could feel his cheeks heat up, "T-Tazz-san?!" She chuckled softly and tilted her head back to look at the sky again, "Go ahead and get some rest. I'll keep watch."

He meekly nodded and she removed her hand from his face when he closed his eyes, quickly falling asleep from exhaustion. She glanced at him before turning her attention back to the sky, smile dropping as her mind wandered back to the others. She took out her phone and pulled up her and Sanji's conversation before typing, 'I ran in to Coby and we stopped for the night. Did you guys find somewhere to stay?'

She hit send and looked away for just a moment when she got a reply, 'The area around Trafalgar's was blocked off by a large number of infected. We're camping out in a nearby hotel and we're planning on busting through first thing in the morning when the sun comes up.' She frowned a bit and replied, 'Alright. I'm gonna keep heading that way, so once you guys get Law, we'll meet up somewhere with less infected and then search for Vegapunk.' A few seconds later, Sanji texted her back, 'Okay. Stay safe, Tazz-chan. I love you.'

Her chest tightened when she read those three words once again, and she lightly bit her lower lip, 'You too.' She sent the text and put her phone on silent before slipping it back in her pocket just as a weight slid to her lap. She looked down to see that Coby had slipped and now had his head in her lap with a peaceful expression on his face.

She smiled softly and put a hand on his head as she closed her eye, soon falling into a light sleep for the night. She woke when the first rays of morning hit her face, making her eye flutter open before glancing down to see Coby curled up against her right leg with a small line of drool dribbling down his chin and messy hair. She smiled and lightly grabbed his shoulder before shaking it, "Coby, It's time to wake up. We need to get moving."

He hugged her leg tighter and rubbed his cheek against her thigh as he grumbled sleepily. She rolled her eye and lightly slapped his cheek, "Come on. Don't make me kiss you awake." With that, he quickly sat up and stared at her with a bright blush.

She chuckled and began to stand up before patting her pants off, "Good morning, sleeping beauty. I was joking, but at least it got you up." He pouted childishly and rubbed the back of his head as he looked away while standing up as well. She pulled her phone from her pocket to see that she just got a text from Sanji saying that they were about to storm through the infected to get to Law.

She sent a quick 'good luck' before putting her phone back on vibrate and shoving it in her pocket. She stooped down and grabbed her rucksack and halberd before slinging the former over her shoulders and tapping her chin with a finger, "By the way, you might want to wipe your chin." He blinked at her before blushing brightly and furiously rubbing his chin with his sleeve, embarrassed at having been caught drooling.

Once he calmed down, he smoothed down his hair and looked back at her, "What now?" She peered over the ledge of the roof and nodded to herself when she saw that the alley below was empty, "We keep heading north. We still gotta get you to my grandpa and I gotta meet my group after they get Law." He nodded and looked down to the alley next to her, "How are we gonna get down?"

She simply vaulted over the edge and landed in a crouch before putting her weapon on her back and looking up at him with her arms held out, signalling that she'd catch him. He sighed and built up the courage to jump over the edge, barely suppressing a scream as the wind whipped around him until he landed in Tazz's arms before being set down on his shaky legs. He rotated his arms as he tried to maintain his balance before just leaning against the wall as the color slowly returned to his face, "I really hope we don't have to do that again anytime soon..."

He lips quirked in one corner and she patted his back before heading to the exit of the alley and peering out, "Don't jinx it." She poked her head out and saw that the street was clear of infected before she stepped out from from the alley and gestured for Coby to follow. He took hold of his pistol and crept after her, making sure he was aware of where he was putting his feet so he didn't make noise.

They started heading north yet again, but quickened their pace since they were getting closer to Tazz's goal. When the sun was fully out, they paused and quickly went into an alley as they saw a large crowd of infected meandering around an apartment building and she got out her phone before shooting a text to Sanji, 'Did you get Law?' She looked back at the horde before her phone vibrated in her hand and she glanced at it, 'Yeah. We're at the Alabasta five blocks west.'

She let out a soft, relieved sigh and smiled before looking over her left shoulder at Coby, "They got Law. Let's go to the Alabasta and met them there. Do you have any way to contact my grandpa or Helmeppo?" He frowned and shook his head, "No... My phone got broken an hour before we ran in to each other." She hummed softly and looked back to her phone, pulling up Garp from her contacts and sending him a message, 'I've got your trainee. We'll be camped out at the Alabasta for the time being until the area clears.'

She pocketed her phone and looked across the street at another alley before pointing at it, "Now we head west." She peeked out before sprinting across the street and diving into the opposite alley and pressing her back against the wall. She looked out to see that the infected hadn't notice before she turned her attention to Coby and waved him over.

He gulped nervously and ran out before tripping over an empty bottle and falling down, the rattle of the glass echoing through the streets and catching the horde's attention. They all looked at him and Tazz cursed under her breath while Coby yelped when they all began to run towards him.

He squeezed his eyes shut before something landed on his head and scuffling along with a menacing growl sounded beside him. He opened his eyes to see that Tazz's hat had been thrown on his head and he looked over to see that she had used her halberd to pin one of the infected to the ground before changing into her fighting form with her back facing him, though she looked different than before.

She had black flames running down the length of her tail before they became orange and encased the end of it and there were now orange flame markings on her right forearm that looked like her tattoo. Flames licked at her shoulders and elbows and he noticed that her ears had taken on a canine-like appearance complete with black fur as her horns had morphed into large deer antlers with several tines on both sides.

She growled again and the infected seemed to waver before returning to trying to kill them. She grabbed her halberd and spun it over her head as black fire covered the blade before she swung it down, cracking the asphalt as the shock sent back several of the infected. She glanced back at him and he had to suppress a shiver at the look of her eye, the white having become pitch black and the iris had an orange glow, "Get to the alley now! Take my rucksack and run west to the hotel!"

He quickly scrambled to his feet before hesitating, making her growl and give him a frustrated snarl, "GO!" He let out a small squeak before running to the alley, snatching her bag and continuing westward while she stayed back. Part of the horde attempted to go after him, but were stopped when a wall of black flames got in their way, even setting some of them aflame.

Tazz panted lightly and glared icily at them, "Don't even think about it." She took a deep breath before blowing out fire and swinging her weapon around, taking out a whole section of the group. She winced a bit when she felt something slice into her right side and she looked down to see that one of them had thrown a knife at her.

She ripped the blade out and threw it back, nailing one of them in the forehead, then blew out more flames to make another wall of fire before she took off in the direction that Coby went. She panted heavily and held her hand to her side to try to stint the gushing blood, stumbling a bit but otherwise maintaining her fast pace. She soon arrived at the hotel and saw Coby disappear inside, making her shoulders slump in relief before she started walking towards the doors. She looked at her bloody glove covering her left hand and frowned, right hand tightening around her halberd.

She changed back to her normal form but kept her tail out, not feeling like putting it back in her pants at the moment, and continued to the doors. She glanced up and down the street to make sure it was clear before she went inside to see that the lobby was empty. She frowned a bit and sniffed the air, finding the scents of her group along with Coby and Law.

She zeroed out the freshest scent, which was Coby's, and followed it to the stairwell and she let out a small groan as her shoulders slumped once more, "Really?" She let out a heavy sigh and started following the scent up the stairs, not caring about the trail of blood she was leaving behind.


End file.
